


You Said Yourself That ‘Solo’ Is A Great Last Name

by WhisperOfWarmth



Series: Dates with the Devil [3]
Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Developing Relationship, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Friends to Lovers, I Ship It, Love, Marriage Proposal, Protectiveness, Random & Short, Reylo - Freeform, Romantic Fluff, Short & Sweet, Soft Ben Solo, Star Wars - Freeform, too much too soon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-23
Updated: 2020-05-23
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:08:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,983
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24337915
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhisperOfWarmth/pseuds/WhisperOfWarmth
Summary: For a lot of girls, meeting a man who’s rich, intelligent, and loving is a dream come true.But not for Rey.While she has an open mind, her heart is a little more closed up. And this guy that’s pursuing her ... what could he possibly want from her? It can’t JUST be her love, like he keeps claiming.Or can it?
Relationships: Rey/Ben Solo
Series: Dates with the Devil [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/932226
Comments: 8
Kudos: 49





	You Said Yourself That ‘Solo’ Is A Great Last Name

“Good morning.”

Rey sat up slowly, her head still thumping. Although her brain was foggy, she knew for sure that she wasn’t in her own bed, or even her own apartment. She was on a long black sofa, a silky red blanket draped over her and a small couch-pillow where her head had been.

And the man talking to her — tall, pale, dark hair and eyes. At least THIS face provided a tiny bit of familiarity in an unknown setting.

“Where am I?”

“You’re at 2234 Westhaven Court. My house.”

Rey sat up further and looked around. Did he say house? This was more like a mansion. She knew that the guy was loaded, but she hadn’t thought he was THIS well-off. The furniture was immaculate, the rug couldn’t have been any less than $10,000, and the paintings on the wall? Rey was no art expert, but she’d bet that she was looking at several ORIGINAL Monets and Picasso’s.

And, jeez ... how in the world did she end up in BEN SOLO’S house? Although the man had been doing business at the accounting firm that Rey worked as a secretary at first over a year, Rey barely knew him. She vaguely remember running into him at the firm’s annual Labor Day party last night, and having a few drinks together ... but that was as far as her memory went.

_Oh, shit ... I didn’t sleep with him, did I?? I wasn’t THAT drunk —?_

“H-how did I get here?”

“I brought you home from the party. I would have just taken you to your home, but you were slurring so bad when I asked you where it was that I couldn’t understand you. You didn’t have an ID on you, and everyone I asked was so trashed themselves that I couldn’t make heads or tails out of any answers.”

“What am I wearing?”

“Oh, that’s one of my T-shirts, and a pair of my sweatpants. Both clean, don’t worry. You, um, you puked all over your dress, so I washed it; it’s in the dryer now.”

_He knows how to use a washing machine? A house like this, shouldn’t he have a maid or something?_

Rey suddenly had another thought, and she scowled at him indignantly. “Did you _undress_ me??”

“No! Of course not! I gave you the clothes and sent you into the bathroom to change. When you came out, you handed me your old dress, then passed out on my couch. I covered you with that blanket, but that’s it, I swear.”

Rey groaned. “I made an absolute fool of myself at that party, didn’t I?”

Ben sat down gingerly at the edge of the couch. Rey almost wanted to laugh; a multi-millionaire but the guy was wearing a worn-looking Scooby Doo t-shirt and paint-splattered shorts. “I wouldn’t say that. You just had a little too much to drink. Happens to the best of us. You’ve got some pretty sweet dance moves, by the way.”

Rey blushed a deep pink. “I ... I was dancing?”

Ben nodded. “You sure were. I was impressed; I don’t think I’ve seen anyone do the Macarena since 8th grade gym class.”

Rey groaned and put her hands over her face. “Oh god; I’m never going to hear the end of this when I show up at work tomorrow.”

“Seriously, don’t even worry about it, Rey. You were having so much fun it was contagious. You put a smile on my face, for sure.”

Rey smiled. “Well, thanks. And thanks for getting me out of there safely, by the way. I’m sorry if I sound ungrateful; I’m still a little disoriented.”

“It’s okay. I’d be weirded-out too if I woke up in some guy I barely know’s house. But, in a way, I’m glad this happened, Rey. I’ve wanted to talk to you for some time, now.”

“You wanted to talk to ME?”, Rey asked, genuinely surprised. What was he saying? He probably had access to a thousand women to ‘talk’ to, undoubtedly from higher social classes than some lowly secretary. “Why?”

“I’ve been doing business with your firm for over a year, now. Every time I come in, you’re always so friendly and warm and ... well, at the risk of embarrassing myself, I’ve, um, always had a tiny bit of a ... a crush on you.”

“ _Really_?”

Ben nodded, and he was blushing now. “Yeah. But I was scared maybe you’d heard things about me, and might be put off if I tried to talk to you.”

Rey was quiet for a while, thinking on how to respond to that.

“I’ve heard bits and pieces of some stuff about you,” she finally said, slowly. “And I’ll be honest, some of it is pretty ... scary. But I don’t believe in judging people based off of gossip and hearsay. That being said ... can I ask you straight-out about the rumors? Um, specifically, about you and that girl?”

“You can. You’re sure you want to hear it, though?”

“Yes. Very much so.”

Ben took a deep breath, and began, quietly,

“Me and this girl were at a bar. We’d been dating about two weeks, very new relationship, hadn’t even kissed yet. Anyway we were there, and she was drinking a lot, and I think somebody must have slipped roofies or something into one of her drinks.”

“People actually do that?”, Rey commented, her face a twin mask of horror and disgust. “That’s completely terrifying.”

Ben nodded. “I agree; it is. Anyway, I saw that she was acting really out of it, like not just drunk, but _weird_. Like she wasn’t in control of herself or her body. So I brought her home, like I did with you. She found her own way into my bedroom, and passed out on my bed. I went to sleep in one of the guest rooms. In the morning she woke up, found herself in my bed, and freaked out because she couldn’t remember anything. Plus her clothes were all torn up, and she had scratch marks all over, so she thought that I — but that happened before we even got to my place; she tripped and fell in some sticker-bushes. She called the police and told them she thought she’d been, um, you know —?”

“Oh, my God,” Rey whispered, her face whitening in horror. “Really?”

“Yeah. They took me in, questioned me, gave her one of those tests ... but there was nothing there from ME. Because I _hadn’t_ touched her. I’d never do something like that; the thought of it makes me sick to my stomach.”

“Good. Because that’s an incredibly vile thing to do to a human being.”

Ben nodded. “But even after finding out that I hadn’t done anything to her, she was convinced that I’d ... taken advantage of her, and then cleaned her up really good so that the police couldn’t find anything. Either that or I’d paid everyone off to keep quiet. She told all of her friends that, they told their friends ... and yeah. Not everyone believed it, but a lot of people still looked at me funny after that.”

“Wow,” Rey said, after a long silence. “That’s ... that’s absolutely awful, Ben. I’m so sorry you had to go through all that.”

“The worst thing was, before all of that, I’d thought of her as a really good friend, you know? Losing her friendship just ... it hurt. It hurt a lot. And because of that, I, um, I haven’t tried to go on a date with anyone in almost two years.”

“That’s such a long time; especially over something that never even happened.”

He looked up at her. “You believe me?”

Rey nodded. “I know I don’t know you very well, but ... but you seem to me like the kind of guy who’s really honest about everything. And I’m usually great at reading people so, yes, I believe you.”

Here she paused and looked down at the shirt she was wearing. “What I DON’T believe is that you’re a PACKERS fan, though,” she said, smirking. “I mean, come on; they’re the worst team in the league.”

Ben smiled. “You watch football?”

“Yeah. My foster brother, he was on the team in high school. I used to go every Friday night to watch the games. Eventually got into watching the NFL games.”

“You must not watch enough if you think the Packers are trash, though. They won their last three games in a row!”

“All incredibly lucky breaks. But they have absolutely no inherent talent! And their quarterback? Somebody needs to take him behind the barn, pull the trigger, and put him out of his misery.”

“Ouch,” Ben said, grinning. “But hey, speaking of pigskins ... you wanna go get some breakfast or something?”

“A bit of a clumsy segway there, Ben. I never said the word ‘pigskin’.”

“I know, but I just really wanted to ask you out to breakfast. I think you’re cool to talk to. Please? It’s on me, anything you want.”

“You should really be careful who you say that to. I may look small but I can eat like a bull.”

“So can I! So we’d have an awesome time!”

Rey chuckled. “Well, okay. But I have to use your shower first; I know I look like a hot mess.”

“I don’t know about the ‘mess’ part ... but deal. I’ll go get your clothes from the dryer,” he said, smiling before walking off.

—

“He’s a nice guy,” Rey insisted, for what felt like the hundredth time. “He’s sweet, he’s funny ... really a gentleman.”

It was several weeks later, and since the day she had woken up on his couch, Rey had been spending a lot of time with Ben. She wouldn’t call what they were doing to be dating, not precisely; but it was close to it. They ate, they went for drives, they took long walks. There was a subtle two-way flirtation floating between them, but nothing over-the-top.

But it was strange; talking to Ben was like talking to _herself_. Despite being from two vastly different backgrounds, she and Ben had a similar way of looking at life, and taking in the world around them. The first time Ben finished one of her sentences, she’d laughed. The ninth or tenth time, it was so commonplace that she just accepted it.

But one person who was having trouble ‘accepting’ her new-found kinship was one of her best friends, Rose Tico. Rose worked at a bank down the block from the accounting firm Rey worked at, and the two would often have lunch together, which was what they were doing now.

Although Rose was a year younger than Rey, she had taken on a big sister role in her life, and was protective over her.

And she wasn’t a fan of Rey’s budding connection with the enigmatic Ben.

“He has an account at your bank, right? Isn’t he nice to you when he comes in?”

“Yeah, he’s nice. It’s just ... I don’t know, Rey; something about him just makes me uneasy. Those eyes of his ... he looks like the kind who would murder someone, bury the body, and then be smart enough to never get caught for it.”

Rey burst out laughing. “Are you joking?! Ben is so gentle it’s ridiculous. The other day he felt bad for hours because he’d accidentally stepped on a cat’s tail when we were walking. He actually tried to chase the cat down to _apologize_ to it! And you think he’s some kind of secret serial killer? Come on!”

“Have you slept with him yet?”

Rey blushed and shook her head. “No. He’s never brought it up, but ... I want to. I mean he’s really cute, and I like him a lot.”

“Well, be careful there, too. He looks like the kind who can get really rough and hurt you.”

Rey shrugged. “Maybe I _like_ it rough. A little pain never truly _hurt_ anybody.”

“Rey!”, Rose exclaimed, blushing.

Rey burst into a short peal of laughter. “Jeez; it used to be that you’d know when I was _kidding_!”

“It’s hard to tell with you sometimes! It’s like you don’t take anything seriously.”

Rey reached across the table and put her hand over Rose’s, squeezing gently.

“I DO take things seriously. But I’ve gotten to know Ben, and I believe that he’s genuinely a nice guy. Okay? I get that you’re worried for me, especially after the last man I dated. But Ben is different. He may be loaded but he’s not some typical rich douchebag; he’s still got good values, and a really big heart. Do you know where he took me the other day?”

“Where?”

“A nursing home.”

“What?”

“A nursing home. He volunteers every Thursday. Goes and sits with people whose own families don’t or can’t come see them too often.”

“Really?”

Rey nodded. “Yeah. I was talking to one of the nurses, she says a lot of the residents really look forward to when he comes. He’ll sit, he’ll listen to stories, he’ll play board games and card games ... how many people do you know who have the patience for that kind of thing?”

“Not many,” Rose admitted reluctantly. “Just ... please take it slow with him. I don’t want to see you get hurt again.

And maybe Rose was right to be concerned. A few years ago, Rey had been dating a guy who she’d thought was Prince Charming. Handsome, funny, intelligent ... but as the relationship progressed, he started showing a different side of himself. He became extremely possessive over Rey, and whenever she tried to leave, he’d fill her head with a litany of insults and negativity, telling her that nobody else would want some orphan -girl who never had a real family, had no roots, and (according to him) was ugly to boot.

It was only with a tremendous effort that Rey was able to leave the relationship, but she’d carry around the scar from the pain for a long time to come.

But Ben ...

“My break is about over,” Rey said, pulling out her share of the bill from her purse and laying it on the table. “I’ll call you later, okay?”

She leaned down and kissed Rose’s cheek, and Rose gave her a quick hug. “Okay. Love you.”

“Love you too.”

—

“It’s really late.”

It was several nights later, and Rey and Ben were on his couch, watching a movie. They’d ordered in Chinese food for dinner, the containers of which were still on the table in front of them.

“You’re right about that,” Ben said, stretching. “Hang on a second, I’ll go bring the car around for you.”

“Ben —“

“And don’t start with that ‘I’ll just take a cab’ nonsense. It’s almost 1 in the morning, there’s no way I’m letting you —“

“Actually, Ben, if you don’t mind — I think I’d like to stay with you tonight.”

“Really? Good! Then I’ll go fix up one of the guest rooms for —“

“I wasn’t talking about the guest room,” Rey said, and she could feel how hard she was blushing. “I meant, I’d really like to stay with YOU, tonight.”

Ben’s face flushed, and he gulped before asking, timidly,

“Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

“I’m saying ... I feel completely comfortable with you. And if you’re willing ... I think I’d like to get to know you on a different level.”

“I’ve wanted to ask,” Ben said, slowly. “But I wasn’t sure if you were ready, or if you’d even want to, and I didn’t want you to feel any kind of pressure, to —“

Rey cut him off with a kiss, her small body overpowering his as she climbed into his lap.

“I want to. I want YOU,” she mumbled in-between kisses. 

And Ben didn’t put up any objections to that.

—

“Are you awake?”

It was about an hour or so later, and Rey was laying in Ben’s huge, comfortable bed, trying to regain her energy from their previous activities. It was a bit funny; Ben had money, looks, and some heavy charisma. But when it came to love-making, he was as timid and unsure as a high-school boy on his first time. He seemed almost obsessed with not hurting Rey, even after she’d told him that certain things were okay with her. But when he finally let go of his inhibitions and let loose ... well, suffice it to say that Rey hadn’t felt quite this good (or this happy) in a long, long time.

Rey turned over and looked at him. He was watching her in the dark, his pale face illuminated by the moonlight.

“I’m awake.”

“I want to ask you something, but —“ he paused, reached out, took Rey’s hand, and put it against his chest. “I’m really scared to. Feel how fast my heart is beating?”

Rey sat up in alarm. “Oh my God ... Ben, calm down! If you give yourself a heart attack, I’ll go into too much of a panic to help you!”

When he didn’t respond, she put her hand gently on his cheek. “Whatever you want to ask me can’t be all that serious, now. So ask. I’m listening.”

“Okay, um, well — we, me and you, have been spending a lot of time together this past month.”

“True, we have.”

“And I enjoy your company so much. Like I wake up in the mornings smiling, because I know that at some point, I might get to see you, and be near you.”

“Aw, that’s so sweet!”

“And ... and we just slept together, and ... but even before this, my feelings for you were just ... I mean I really —“

“Ben, what are you trying to say?”

Sitting up, and taking several deep breaths, Ben said,

“I think I love you, Rey. I know it hasn’t been that long, but, I feel such a connection to you, to your _soul_ , as corny as that sounds. And I was just wondering if, officially, you and me could, I mean if I could —“

Rey stopped his mumbling a with a soft kiss. “I’d like it very much, if we started dating, Ben. Officially, I mean.”

But instead of looking happy, Ben looked confused. “Dating? I was going to ask you to marry me.”

Rey burst out laughing, drawing her knees up to her chin. “Marry you? See, that’s what I love about you, Ben; your sense of humor.”

“I was being serious.”

She stopped laughing and looked at him closely, to see if he was still joking.

He wasn’t.

“Ben... the sex couldn’t have been _that_ good. And if you think it was, you really need to get laid more often.”

“It wasn’t just the sex, it’s you. It’s everything about you. Please? We can go to the best jewelry store to select an engagement ring; money is no object.”

“Look ... I had a nice time with you, but if you’re being 100 percent serious right now ... then this is too much. Way too much. I’m gonna get going.”

Rey got out of bed and gathered up her clothes, quickly changing. She was halfway out the door before Ben spoke up, firmly, behind her.

“Fine, then; you leave me no choice but to officially court you.”

“What??”

“Traditional courtship, so I’ve been told, involves a series of platonic outings, both on our own and with other couples, in order to —“

“Hey I KNOW what courtship is, Solo. I’m asking if you’re really being serious right now?”

“Very much so. I want you to be my wife, and if I have to convince you by going the long way around, so be it.”

“Okay, Ben, I’m five seconds from ramming my foot into your balls and taking off screaming down the block.”

“I’m not the biggest fan of pain, but if subjecting my genitals to such torment makes you happy, then by all means, ram away, my dear.”

“Ben ... please. Please don’t do this. Because I feel that connection too, but if you’re pushing it this far, this fast ... I can’t do that.”

“But I love —“

Rey turned and left before Ben could finish his sentence.

— —

“Rey, you have another delivery.”

Rey sighed, and she knew her face was beet-red. This was getting ridiculous.

Ever since that day with Ben, the man made good on his promise to ‘court’ the small girl. Candy, teddy bears, cards sent to her apartment. Long, sappy text messages at all hours of the day. And this —

“You know, I think I’ve had more deliveries this past week for YOU than anyone else,” the flower delivery man commented, as Rey signed off on yet another dozen roses. The little office was, in fact, swarming with flowers, and Rey was running out of people’s desks to put them on.

Rey was seriously debating just chucking this vase out the window, when who should pop in but the sender himself. 

“It’s sad; those flowers spend their entire existence trying to be beautiful. Yet compared to you, they may as well be weeds blowing through the trash.”

“Mr. Solo!”, came a booming voice from behind them. It was her boss, Mr. Plutt. The man wasn’t much for leaving his office, but he always scrambled out from behind his desk when Big Money (which is how he referred to Ben when the latter wasn’t there) made an appearance. “What can we do for you today?”

“I just stopped in to see your lovely secretary,” Ben said, with a smile.

“Oh? Well, go ahead, Mr. Solo. In fact, Rey, go on your lunch now. Take a little extra time.”

“But I went on my lunch two hours ago, Mr. Plutt.”

“A break, then. Take as much time as you need,” he said, still shining that luminous smile at Ben.

He went back into his office, and Rey, angry, took hold of Ben’s arm and yanked him roughly into the front hallway.

“You have to stop all this,” Rey hissed at him, trying to keep her voice down. She knew damn well everyone in that office was inching as close as they could to the door, trying to listen. “Do you have any idea how much you’re embarrassing me?!”

“You won’t pick up my calls, won’t let me take you to lunch, and now I can’t even send you a few flowers? What am I supposed to do, here, to get your attention?”

“Nothing! It’s — I — look, Ben, if I agree that we can be friends, FRIENDS, will you back off with all of this ‘courtship’ bullshit?”

“Friends? Well ... I suppose that would be a good start.”

“It’s not a ‘start’, Solo; it’s ALL that’s going to be between us. You can take it or leave it.”

“I’ll take it!”, Ben said quickly, smiling. “So does that mean I can call you now, and talk to you, like a FRIEND?”

Rey sighed and nodded. “Yes. But not all the time. And you can’t show up here unless you’re here for business reasons. You realize all these disruptions could make me lose my job, right?”

“Are you kidding? Plutt wouldn’t dare fire you, especially if I threatened to take my business elsewhere —“

“See, it’s that shit right there that I’m talking about, Ben. You can’t do that. I don’t want anyone treating me special just because you and I are friends. Got it?”

“Got it. Okay, then, I’ll be good and leave you to your work. Hey, you want to have dinner tonight? Friends eat with each other.”

Rey sighed and gave him a very small smile. “Alright, but nowhere fancy, and I’m paying for myself. Call me at about 6, and we’ll take it from there.”

— —

“What are you doing here?”

“You said you didn’t feel good, so, I came to take care of you. Like any good friend would.”

It was two weeks later, and Rey and Ben’s new ‘friendship’ was doing well. Rey had made her boundaries clear, and Ben was doing his best to respect them. He was still mildly flirtatious with her, but it was nothing so serious that Rey couldn’t handle it.

And Rey had to admit; she’d missed his company. A lot.

Although she could have done without this visit today.

“Are you sure you’re not just here to take advantage of me being sick and miserable and vulnerable?”

“Of course not. But this is good practice for our future marriage. In sickness and in health, right?”, Ben asked, grinning. “So can I come in or are you going to leave me standing in the hallway looking like a jackass?”

Rey sighed and pulled her door open wider. “There is no ‘future marriage, Solo ... and you don’t need the hallway to look like a jackass,” she said, sitting wearily down on the couch. “But seeing as how _you’d_ probably get sick standing out there, come in.”

Ben came inside and, after hanging his coat up by the door, sat down beside her. “It IS really cold out there. In fact this whole building is freezing; when are you going to move in with me already?”

This was something that Ben had been pestering her on. He tried to insist that they would just be living together ‘as roommates’, but Rey knew better.

Instead of answering, Rey asked “What’s in that bag?”

“Oh,” Ben replied, moving the bag so that it was closer to Rey. “Just some stuff to help with your recovery.”

Rey looked inside cautiously. “Scented candles ... a silk robe ... bath oils ... a luxury towel? Ben, I’m sure that a bottle of cough syrup and some tea would have been sufficient enough, here.”

“I brought those too; they’re in the bottom of the bag,” Ben said, slipping off his shoes. “If you get the tea box out for me, I’ll go make you a cup.”

Rey raised an eyebrow. “Really? YOU will?”

“Do you honestly have no faith in my domestic skills whatsoever? Geez ... “

Rey sighed and pulled the blanket from over the couch around her, leaning back. “Sorry. I’m a bit of a bitch when I’m sick.”

Ben shook his head and patted her knee. “Please don’t ever call yourself that. You just don’t feel good, that’s all. I’ll be right back with your tea.”

“Can you bring me another blanket when you come back? There’s a pink one at the edge of my bed.”

“Don’t worry; I’m on it.”

Rey closed her eyes as she waited, feeling exhausted. After some time had passed, she opened her eyes again to find Ben gently covering her with the blanket she’d asked for. A cup of tea was sitting and steaming out on the table by her head. 

“Your bedroom is cold as ice,” Ben said, sounding worried as he tucked her in. “Is it always this cold?”

Rey sneezed and shook her head. “No. I, um, I kinda forgot to pay the heating bill this month.”

“What?? Why didn’t you say something, Rey? If you couldn’t pay it, why in the world didn’t you let —“

“I didn’t say I _couldn’t_ pay it,” Rey grumbled, taking a slow sip of her tea. “I said I _forgot_. I mailed the check yesterday afternoon, so it should be back on by tomorrow at the latest.”

Ben shook his head. “Tomorrow is unacceptable. You’re sick, and this frigid air isn’t making it any better. I mean, it’s the middle of November, for God’s sake! Please come and stay with me, Rey. Just until your heat goes back on.”

“I’m fine, Ben. I’ve got enough blankets, I’ll be good.”

“I wasn’t talking about in my bedroom, you know. I have like 6 guest rooms.”

“Still no.”

“Okay but seriously, why don’t you move in with me?”

“Ben —“

“I already told you we’d have separate bedrooms. And you wouldn’t have to spend a dime on anything, I’ll take care of everything.”

“Free rent, my own room —“

“And I’d give you one of my cars. You liked the Lexus right? The red one? That’d be yours. It’s not even 6 months old yet, it’s like new!”

“All of that ... but what would YOU be getting, Ben?”

“You. You’d be there when I come home. I’d get to hang out with you, talk to you, see your face. Maybe if I’m lucky, I’d get to sit with you on the couch while we watch those old movies you like.”

“That doesn’t sound like a fair trade-off at all, honey.”

“You’re right, it’s not; but honestly nothing that I could give you would be a realistic equal to your time, or your presence.”

“You know that you could have anyone, right? You can’t be so dense as to not be aware of that.”

“I want YOU.”

“I just don’t understand why, Ben. You barely even know me!”

“I know that you love the smell of rain because it reminds you of when you used to live in Seattle. I know that when something annoys you, you start biting on your lower lip. You’re an animal lover but lemurs are your favorite. You don’t tan in the sun, you turn red. You put everyone else before yourself, always. And you’re beautiful, Rey. I’m looking at you right now while you’re pale and sick, your hair isn’t done, you have no makeup on, and I’m just so amazed at how fucking gorgeous you look. I look at your face and I think, this is her. This is the woman of my dreams.”

A long pause, and then: “Thats all on the surface. Those are things literally anyone could know about me.”

Struggling to sit fully upright, she looked him in the eye and went on,

“What you don’t know is that my mom died when I was 2, and my dad left me a year after that. You don’t know that l’ve lived my entire life going from house to house, being fostered by strangers in strange places. You don’t know that sometimes I feel like I’m genuinely incapable of forming a REAL bond with other people. I can handle friendship, but love terrifies me, Ben. And YOU terrify next, because you sit there with your perfect teeth and designer clothes and you say and do all the right things ... but other people, other _men_ , have said and done the right things, too. And I’ve never experienced pain like I have from men who have said and done the right things. And ... even if I did decide that I could be with you, this would not be fair to you. You deserve someone who’s not completely shut up inside, who can love and TRUST you without constantly questioning your sincerity and your motives.”

Ben was quiet for a while after that, trying to process everything she’d just told him. It was a lot to take in; he’d had no idea she was carrying around so much hurt in her.

“Rey ...”, he started, after thinking it over, “I grew up with my mother but not my father. I was lucky; I knew my family and we were wealthy, but that never stopped me from hurting over dad being gone. It’s not the same as your experience, but it’s a small pinpoint that we can relate on. And ... I have issues trusting too. People who claimed to be my friends, claimed to love me, only to want my money. But ... you’re different. You’re not perfect and you’re damaged but _so am I_. Different but the same. Talking to you is like ... like coming home. Like being away for a long time and then finally coming back home. Maybe that’s what love is, or maybe it’s not. Either way it’s what I feel for you, and it’s why I want so much more than your friendship.”

A long beat of silence, and then, “You seriously feel like that?”

“I seriously feel like that.”

She suddenly found herself speechless. What could she say to that? She had opened up to him, he had taken her in, and opened himself back up to her.

Since words wouldn’t come, she settled for scooting over and wrapping her thin arms around his shoulders. He seemed very surprised, but he hugged her back; his warmth was stronger than any of the blankets she’d just had on.

“Ben ... if I said that I’d be willing to try dating you —“

Ben jumped up, his face alit with excitement.

“Oh my God, seriously? Babe we’re gonna be so happy! Do you have some boxes? I’ll start packing up your stuff myself; I’ll —“

“Whoa, slow down, hun. I didn’t say I was moving in, I said dating. _Dating_ , Ben. Meaning going out occasionally, then coming back to our own separate residences. Taking it slow, really getting to know each other.”

“Do I get to call myself your boyfriend?”

Rey smiled. “I suppose that would be okay. But you can’t be going overboard, Ben. You can’t be bringing over an entire flower shop every time you come see me, you can’t take me to dinner in Paris, or anything like that.”

“I understand. Wait, so, you don’t like dinner in Paris ... what about Amsterdam? Or Sweden?”

“Ben ...”

“Relax, I’m just kidding. But okay, we’re dating, and I’m your boyfriend. But I feel it my duty to point out ... a _lot_ of couples DO live together, you know.”

Rey smiled and patted his hand. “How about we have this conversation a bit farther down the line, okay? But in the meantime, ‘boyfriend’ ... I could use some more tea.”

Ben stood up, kissing Rey’s forehead. “Your wish is my command, sweetheart. But first ... are you going to yell at me if I call my assistant and have him buy you an electric blanket?”

“Ben —“

“Rey, you’re my girlfriend. What kind of a jerk-off would I be if I didn’t make sure you were sufficiently warm?”

Rey sighed. “Is there any way I can talk you out of it?”

“No. And be thankful, I’m actually curbing myself on all that I want to get you right now. For example, there’s this chicken soup made by this chef in France that I think would be pretty good for your cold; would only take a phone call to have it flown in first-class and —“

“Okay, okay; just stick with an electric blanket. Make sure it’s big enough for two, because you’re staying with me tonight to help keep me warm.”

Ben gave her a joyful kiss on the lips. “I was hoping you’d say that,” he said, beaming as he picked up his phone. “Hey, Paul? I need you to run to —“

— —

“So, what did you think?”

“It was ... interesting. But I’ve got to say, half the time I had no clue what anyone was talking about. It’s like they were speaking another language.”

Ben chuckled. “I get that. I’m afraid these business types don’t drop the boring personality, even at what’s supposed to be a party.”

He took her hands and held her out from him. “But business types or not, I know every man in this room was looking at you tonight. Have you seen yourself? You’re absolutely stunning.”

It was the week before Christmas, and the last of Ben’s guests had just left the Holiday Party that he’d thrown at his house. There had been fancy catered food, thousands of colorful lights, hired waiters, and more people than Rey would have believed would fit, even in a house as big as Ben’s.

“Are all these people your friends?”, Rey had whispered to him at one point in the evening, awed.

“Some are. Most are just associates or business partners,” he’d whispered back, smiling at her reaction.

Now, the hired help was busy cleaning up the aftermath, and Ben was with Rey in the living room.

Rey blushed from Ben’s compliment. “Thank you. Um, can I talk to you about something?”

Ben sat down on the couch, gently pulling Rey down with him. “What is it?”

“Well, I got a chance to really talk with one of your associates tonight. Er, the red-headed one, Armitage, I think?”

“Oh, you mean Hux?”

“Yes, Hux. How do you two know each other?”

“A long time ago, his dad and my mom used to be partners in this small business. They split ways when they sold the company off, but me and him have kind of been in the same social and business circles since then. Did you like him?”

“Can I be honest with you?”

“Always.”

“Well ... he made me feel uneasy, Ben.”

Bens face changed, darkening as he asked, “He didn’t hit on you did he? Or say something inappropriate to you? Or touch you, something like that?”

“No. He was very polite. But it’s just a feeling I get when I’m near. Something about him sets off all my triggers. I don’t know, I can’t describe it better than that. I’m sorry; I know he’s your friend and —“

“No, I’m glad you’re being honest with me. From now on, I won’t invite him to any more things that you’ll be at, okay?”

“It’s not me I’m worried about, it’s YOU.”

“Me?”

“Yeah. I just ... I don’t know, I feel like, if he got the chance, he’d really hurt you.”

“Do you mean physically? Like he’d put a knife in my chest?”

“Ugh,” Rey muttered, feeling frustrated. She wasn’t at all sure how to articulate what she meant, or how to get her point across. “Hux is just your friend, right? You don’t actually do business with him, do you?”

“Funny you should mention that; he’s been in my ear about investing with him in this start-up business of his friend’s. I had Plutt go over the details, and he said that it seems like it’d be a good long-term investment, but I haven’t given Hux an answer yet.”

Rey reached over and took his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. “Ben, you’re my boyfriend, but ... you know that I consider you a really close friend, too, right? That I care about you deeply?”

Ben nodded.

“As your girlfriend AND as your friend, I can’t stand the thought of anything bad possibly happening to you. Maybe I’m just being paranoid about Hux, but, I’d feel so much better if you didn’t get involved in whatever he’s trying to get you involved in.”

Ben was quiet for a few moments, and then, “You honestly feel that strongly about it?”

“I really, really do.”

Ben nodded, and squeezed her hand back. “Okay. I’ll call him tomorrow and tell him I’m not interested.”

Rey blinked in surprise. “R-really?”

“I trust you, and I trust your instincts. Completely.”

He stood up and stretched. “The tiny little appetizers they serve at these things never fill me up. You want to go have dinner somewhere?”

“Honesty, I’m wiped.”

“What if I ordered us pizza and we just stayed here, watched some movies and relaxed?”

Rey smiled and kissed him. “Add some hot wings to that pizza and you’ve got a deal.”

“And breadsticks. Only heathens get pizza without breadsticks.”

— —

“Did I ever tell you how awesome you are for doing this?”

Ben smiled and shrugged his shoulders. “It’s not a big deal.”

“Yes it is, Ben. I can’t think of another soul who would spend his Christmas like this.”

Today had been an interesting day. When Rey had woken up (she had spent the night at Ben’s place), she had been overcome with a feeling of dread. It was Christmas, and, although she’d had a talk with Ben about his tendency to lean towards extravagant gifts, she wasn’t entirely sure he’d fully heard her. But she had been upfront with Ben from the beginning that she didn’t want a fancy, expensive, over-the-top present.

“If you give me something, let it be something from the heart,” she’d told him, cupping his face for emphasis.

“Why can’t a new car be from the heart?”, he’d asked back, teasing her. “Or a diamond necklace?”

“Because that’s just you throwing money at me. I want you to throw YOU at me.”

He’d grinned and, putting his arms around her waist and pulling her close, said, “You don’t have to wait for Christmas to have me throw myself at you. You can have me right now.”

She’d pushed him away, lightly smacking his shoulder. “I’m being serious, Ben.”

“Okay, okay; I’ll have somebody drive the car around the block of the dealership once so that it won’t technically be brand new.”

Rey had sighed, but she let it go.

But when she got out of bed and wandered to the living room ...

“Merry Christmas!”, Ben had said, rushing to her and swinging her up into his arms.

She kissed him, unable to resist his excitement. “Merry Christmas. You look cute in that hat.”

He grinned and went to the coffee table. “Here, I got one for you, too.”

Rey put it on, smiling. “Thanks. But why is it an elf’s hat? You making fun of my height or something?”

“Not at all, shorty.”

He picked up a box from under the tree and held it out to her. “Here; I literally can’t wait any longer to give you my package.”

She shook her head at his choice of words, and sat down on the couch to open it. 

What she opened was a medium sized green book (Rey’s favorite color), with a gold edging.

“What is this?”

“You said give you something from the heart. Open it and see.”

Rey opened the first page, and gasped.

“Is this ... this isn’t a scrapbook?!”

Ben nodded. “Yes. I’m sorry, it probably looks really childish, but I wanted to do it all myself.”

Rey quietly turned page after page. Inside were countless pictures of the two of them, underneath which Ben had written captions. She was surprised that there was also a great deal of glitter and stickers, applied artfully around the edge of the pages. Besides the pictures, there were ticket stubs, scraps of menus from restaurant dates, old pieces of clothing, dried flowers, and more.

But more touching than the items themselves were what Ben chose to write under each thing.

**This is the menu from that cafe we went to on our first real date. I had the steak burger and you had the pasta. You had sauce on your lips and I kissed it off. That sauce didn’t compare at all to YOUR flavor.**

**This is the score-keeping pencil from our date at the bowling alley. You see all the bite marks? You looked so gorgeous that day that I was literally flabbergasted, to be in your presence. I was so nervous that I’d do or say something wrong, to make you leave. The poor pencil suffered the brunt of my anxiety.**

**Remember that weird weather day last month, when it hit 100 degrees in the middle of November? We went to the beach, and you kept asking if I remembered to put on sunscreen. I said I did, but apparently I didn’t put on enough. I turned as red as a lobster, and you spent half the night rubbing aloe into my skin and holding an ice pack on my back. This is a picture I took of you when you fell asleep; you were so adorable that my skin heated up all over again, just looking at you.**

Rey was quiet for so long that Ben started to get discouraged. 

“I’m sorry; this is really lame, isn’t it? Like I know my handwriting is sloppy and the pages are —“

“I love this.”

“W-what?”

“I fucking LOVE this!”, Rey exclaimed, tears in her eyes. “I can’t believe you kept all these things! I can’t believe you have such _sweet_ words in you! I just —“

She stopped talking and, carefully setting down the book, threw both arms around him.

“This is the most wonderful gift anyone’s ever given me,” she whispered, squeezing him. “Thank you so much!”

Then she pulled out of his arms and said, “But I’m afraid now my gift will seem really stupid in comparison.”

She went to the tree and picked up the other box, handing it to him.

He opened it, and like Rey had done with his gift, he gasped.

“I hope it fits,” Rey said nervously. “Obviously I couldn’t take your measurements, so I went through your closet and looked at the tags on your shirts. I, um, I haven’t sewn anything by hand in a long time, so —“

Ben pulled out the items slowly. In the box was a scarf, wool gloves, a hat, and a gorgeous sweater, that Rey had managed to embroider “Rey (heart) Ben” in the center of.

“You ... you made these yourself?”

Rey nodded, blushing. “Yeah. But you don’t have to wear them if you don’t —“

Ben pulled the sweater over his head. It fit him perfectly.

“I had no idea that you could sew,” he said, as he tried on the rest of his gift. “And it’s so skillful! Jesus, this is _fantastic_!”

Rey smiled. “You really like them?”

Ben pulled her into a warm hug. “You actually made these _yourself_! How could I not!?”

Rey gave him a kiss on the cheek. “Good. I’m glad.”

“Are you going to be mad if I literally never take this sweater off? Like, wear it in the shower and everything?”

Rey grinned. “Aw; I was hoping to see that pretty pale skin of yours while we’re in there, Benny.”

“W-we?”

“Oh, yeah ... I didn’t mention your second present, did I?”

“Uh ... I ...”

“It’s okay if you don’t want it,” she said coyly, turning and heading for the bathroom. “I mean, it’s not wrapped or anything, so —“

Ben quickly (but carefully) took off the sweater, and eagerly followed her.

—

After a (long) while had passed, and Ben and Rey were fully dressed again, Ben cleared his throat and said, timidly,

“Can I ask you something?”

“Yes?”

“Um, have you ever heard of Toys for Tots?”

Rey nodded. “Of course. The collect money and gifts to give to kids at Christmas, right?”

Ben nodded. “Yeah. Um, you know that nursing home I’ve taken you to a couple of times? Well, I’ve come to realize that it’s not only kids who suffer during holidays, it’s older people, too. I’ve had my assistant buy some gifts for them, and I was thinking of going and delivering them myself. Would you be very mad if I left you for a few hours, to do that?”

Rey crossed her arms in front of her chest. “I’d be furious, actually. How could you go off and do something like that ... and not invite me along, too?”

Ben blinked, surprised. “What?”

“Why do you have to leave me here? Why can’t I go WITH you?”

“Are you sure you want to —“

“When are we leaving?”

Thereby followed a fun afternoon. Ben and Rey passed out gifts to the seniors and the staff, and stayed for their resident Christmas party. It was such a switch, going from the elegant catered cuisine Ben had had at his own holiday party, to homemade cookies and apple cider; yet it was an incredibly lovely experience.

Ben was even talked into sitting at the piano and playing carols for the residents, who laughed and clapped their hands and cheered him on.

By the time they left, Ben was practically glowing from his good time ... and so was Rey.

“They seriously love you there, you know that?”, she’d asked him, when they got back to his house.

“I love them too. Spending time there reminds me a lot of my grandpa. I took care of him for five years before he passed.”

Rey looked up in surprise. “Took care of him? You mean, you went to visit him in a place like that?”

“No, no; I mean, I took care of him. Me. I moved him into my house, and I ran my business mostly from home for those five years because grandfather needed round the clock care.”

“Really?”

“Mm hm. He had Alzheimer’s and problems with his heart and stuff. So I took care of him. Bathing, feeding, medicines, all of that.”

“Why you? Why not your mom?”

“He and my mom and uncle had a falling out years ago, before I was even born. I didn’t even get to meet him until I was about ten. But, you know, he was a fantastic grandpa. Had a story for everything.”

“But ... you have so much money. You could have hired a home-care nurse, or gotten assisted living, or something like that.”

“I suppose, but ... those people would have been strangers, you know? I was his grandson, and if I’m in a position to take care of him, then why not? He was always so good to me. I’d be an asshole if I couldn’t return all of his love and kindness.”

Rey didn’t respond. What could she possibly say now? Ben was a lot more down to earth, a lot more altruistic, than she’d ever given him credit for.

“Are you hungry?”

“A little. Why?”

Taking hold of his hand, Rey said, “Let’s go back to _my_ place, I’ll make us dinner.”

“What?”

“I’ve had a turkey breast thawing in my fridge for three days now; it should be ready to cook. I can make that, some mashed potatoes, maybe a little—“

“Didn’t you say something about how we should just order take-out?”

“Oh, fuck what I said, Ben. Fuck me.”

Ben grinned. “Do you mean that figuratively or literally?”

“Figuratively. For now. As for literally ... let’s see how the evening progresses.”

— —

“Ben ...”

“Hey; do you feel like going to the movies tonight?”

“Not really. But listen, Ben —“

“What about to that new restaurant on Lombard Avenue? My assistant took his girlfriend there two nights ago; he said they had really good clam linguini. I’m not a fan of seafood but you love it, right?”

It was a Sunday evening, several months later, and Rey and Ben were lounging in Ben’s bedroom, being lazy. But Rey had been trying to work up the nerve to tell Ben something important ... not that he was making it easy for her.

“Yeah. But okay really, Ben —“

“Or we could —“

“BEN!”, Rey finally shouted at him, slamming closed the book he had been reading for emphasis. He sat up, startled.

“What?”

“I have something to tell you.”

“What? What’s wrong?”

Taking a deep breath, her heart pounding, Rey said, slowly,

“I’m assuming God really wants us to be in each other lives, because despite a condom, despite birth control ... I’m pregnant.”

“You’re — what?”

“Pregnant. I’m pregnant. I haven’t been feeling well lately, so I took two tests, they both came back positive. I went to my doctor yesterday, and she confirmed it. It’s yours, obviously. Congratulations.”

“Oh my god oh my god oh my god oh —“

Ben had jumped up and was pacing wildly around the bed, his face having gone as red as his hallway carpet.

“Ben, please, breathe! Look I’m sorry if it upsets you this much I’ll get rid of —“

“NO!!!!”

Rey flinched back, badly startled. “What?”

“No!!! I want this baby more than anything in the whole world! I’m so excited I think I’m gonna faint!”

Rey took hold of his arm and forced him to sit down. “Take slow, even breaths, okay? If you pass out I’m in no condition to lift your heavy body off the floor.”

After some deep breathing, and Rey patting his back, Ben managed to calm himself. Speaking slowly, he asked,

“You’re going to keep her, right?”

“Her? I have no idea what it is yet.”

“It’s a her. I can feel it. It’s our daughter. Please, please, keep her. _Please_ , Rey. I’m in love with her already!”

“Well if I did, you know I can’t do this alone, and —“

“Alone? You couldn’t keep me away now if you tried!”

Ben stood up and began to pace around, talking excitedly.

“I’ve got so much to do. I’ve got to pick the best room in this house and turn it into a nursery. She’s gonna need a crib, blankets, toys, a stroller, diapers, so many things. I should have a fence put up around the pool; that’s dangerous for a baby. Gotta get rid of all this sharp shit, can’t have my girl cutting herself. Oh, I’ve gotta call my lawyer, I need to revise my will so that she gets an inheritance and a trust fund. Should probably start a college fund as well. Oh, and I need —“

“Ben slow down, here. And stop saying “she”. I’m only about eight weeks in.”

“Rey ... _please_ ... you have to move in here now. Separate bedrooms if need be but I need you here. I have to take care of you! My anxiety would be through the roof if I didn’t have you safe here every night. Oh and you’ve gotta quit work and stay home and rest and —“

“Once again, I’m barely two months in, here. All the rest of that stuff can come much later. And I’m not quitting my job, I love my job! And ... it’s a big No on separate bedrooms.”

“Really? Oh my God —“ he trailed off, gently hugging her. And then he took her hand and got down on one knee.

“Rey — you know I’m going to do this now every day until you say yes. I love you so fucking much, and I’m going to love our child too. I can take care of you both. Neither of you will ever want for anything, for the rest of your lives, I swear to you.”

“Ben —“

“Okay but just consider ... IF we got married, you’d be on my health insurance. So would our baby. She’d have my last name; you said yourself that Solo is a great last name.”

“Ben —“

“And I’ll be home with you every night. I’ll cook, I’ll clean, I’ll change diapers. I’ll get up at 2am for feedings. I’ll be the best damn husband and father you could ever imagine, I swear to God I would.”

“Yes.”

“I could — wait, what?”

“Yes. I love you, Ben Solo. You’re my very best friend. If I’m going to spend my life with someone, it couldn’t be with anybody BUT you. I’d be honored to marry you.”

Ben picked her up and started to swing her around, before remembering her condition and panicking. “Oh my God I’m so sorry! I shouldn’t have done that! Shit, should I take you to the doctor? Should —“

Rey cut him off with a kiss. “It’s okay, calm down. We’re just fine. We are a bit hungry, though.”

“Then I’ll make you dinner. What do you want?”

“Sushi and wine.”

“Er, um, Rey ... I don’t think ...”

Rey burst out laughing. “Relax, I’m joking. In fact, why don’t you let me make dinner?”

“But you need to be taking it easy.”

“YOU need to take it easy, Ben. You’re not going to treat me like some glass doll for this entire pregnancy. Got it?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“But if you’re really so concerned about me over-exerting myself ... then come cook _with_ me.” Here she paused and patted her belly. “Clearly, we create some great things _together_.”

Ben laughed and picked her up off her feet, kissing her. “I can’t argue with that,” he said, as he carried her into the kitchen.

— — —

*One Year Later*

“Where is she?”

“Ben’s probably got her out in the yard. He spends forever out there with her when it’s warm like this.”

It was a late afternoon in early April, and Rey had just come back from shopping with Rose. Rose has come in earlier to play with the baby, and was hoping to see her one more time before she left; but little Leah was nowhere to be seen.

Rey began to straighten up, and Rose said, grinning, “This really is a huge room for such a tiny baby. Lucky girl, Leah is.”

“Yeah, this huge room ... that she never sleeps in.”

“What do you mean?”

“Ben literally waits for me to fall asleep every night, so he can sneak her out of her crib and bring her in here. Half the time I turn over and he’s got her in-between us, surrounded by pillows.”

Rose laughed. “Seriously?”

“Yeah. I tried to put my foot down on this, but the one time I tried, I woke up and he wasn’t in bed. I come in here and he’s sound asleep on the floor in front of the crib. So I just gave up with trying to keep him from bringing her to our bed.”

“Rey ... come on. That’s literally the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard!”

“Yeah it’s sweet, but ... you know I’ve told him over and over that she needs to be apart from us _sometimes_ , or else he’s going to create some huge separation anxiety when she’s older, but he doesn’t listen. And if that wasn’t bad enough, he’ll get up at 1am to feed her, then STAY up with her the rest of the night. I swear I don’t know when he gets himself any sleep. You know yesterday I went downstairs at 3am and he had her with him on the couch, leaning against his chest like a chair, watching The Wizard of Oz? But try telling him that she’s too young to understand movies. I don’t know how he’s going to handle it when he has to leave on that business trip next week; if I’m not careful, he’s liable to try and sneak her away in his luggage.”

“Looks like you’ve got your hands full, Rey,” Rose said, standing up. “But at the same time ... you’re incredibly lucky, you know that?”

Rey smiled. “The word isn’t lucky, it’s ‘blessed’. I love that goofy man and that little Princess more than anything in the world.”

The two hugged each other, and Rey saw her to her car.

When she came back in, she went to the patio door, and smiled.

Rey hadn’t told Rose all that Ben had done for HER, not just Leah, since before and after the baby was born. Like hours-long massages for Rey’s swollen feet and achy back. Breakfast (and sometimes lunch and dinner) in bed. Cutting back on his business engagements in order to spend more time at home with her. Going with and holding her hand through every pre and post-natal doctor’s appointment. Hugging her and kissing her constantly, even through her tears and mood-swings and general crankiness. Making her feel like the most gorgeous woman in the world even when her belly was so large she couldn’t see feet, or she no longer had the energy to do her hair and makeup.

Rey looked out into the yard. Ben had Leah in the crook of his arm, and he was pointing out something, maybe a bird, in one of the trees. At five months, she was able to hold her head up longer now, and seemed much more alert than before. He was making silly faces and funny whistling noises, and she was cooing and happily kicking her feet back at him.

Rey watched them for a bit, and a strong, almost overwhelming flood of love and pride washed over her.

This was her family.

After years of being alone as a child, and being moved from foster home to foster home, never having any roots, being terrified of getting close to people ...

 _This_ , was her **family**.

“And it’s getting bigger all the time,” Rey said softly to herself, smiling as she gently patted her stomach. “Wait till we tell your daddy about YOU coming along. You’ll be the best birthday present ever.” And then, as an afterthought, “Probably gonna need a bigger bed, though. Lord knows your dad will be sneaking you AND Leah into it all the time.”

“Rey!”

Ben had spotted her, and was waving. “Come see! Leah was actually laughing at this face I made!”

So Rey stepped through the door, to join them.


End file.
